On a bustling corner of downtown Norman’s Main Street, you will find food, drinks and neighbors who are drawn to the fresh-squeezed, made-from-scratch, and melding of comfort and adventurous cuisine known as Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. The retro music nicely complements the eclectic décor but does not overwhelm the atmosphere.
“We make our syrups, squeeze all of our juices daily, and make our sauces in-house,” said Sydney Walker, who has worked for Scratch Kitchen for 10 years. “We make food that is good and good for you, with an Oklahoma and Louisiana spin on it.”
With no artificial “anything” if they can keep from it, Brady Sexton, a Norman native, brought the metro’s first craft cocktail bar to Norman in 2013. Since then, he and his team have created a gathering place, hopping most nights of the week due to daily specials and themed events.
Two of their most popular suppliers are Heirloom and Bittercube, owned by a Norman native and lifelong friend of Brady’s, Ira Koplowitz, who consulted, in the beginning, to help Scratch Kitchen bring craft cocktails to Norman.
“Our team loves food and hospitality,” Sydney said. “We want everyone who comes through the door to feel that no matter the event or occasion.”
On the weekday evening that we visited, we did have reservations, and I suggest you make them because the restaurant is close to campus and can fill up quickly.
For cocktails, we tried an Aviation, made from Ford’s Gin, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, crème de Violette, simple syrup and lemon juice, and The Flower Cup, which had a delicate floral bouquet, made from honeysuckle vodka, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, lavender syrup, ginger liqueur, Heirloom Crème de Flora and Boliver bitters. Both cocktails were uniquely flavored, smooth and the perfect beverage to sip and savor the evening.
We ordered two appetizers, and both were crowd-pleasers. The Crispy Lump Crab Cakes were hot and crunchy, served with a tangy remoulade that tasted like tangy tartar sauce. The Scratch Spinach Dip arrived at the table in a skillet and was topped with parmesan cheese and house-made pico de gallo—there were not a lot of spices, which allowed the ingredients to speak for themselves.
One of the night’s most pleasant surprises was the Southwest Salad. The thinly sliced sweet potato chips were the first delight, and the second was the cilantro lime vinaigrette, which swirls in your mouth amongst a myriad of sweet and savory flavors and textures—black beans, roasted corn, red onion, tomato, avocado and cotija cheese on mixed greens.
You won’t be disappointed if you order an Okie Smash Burger, which offers a couple of layers of cooked-to-suit beef patties, a special sauce and Scratch pickles, a beautiful bread & butter, with a “zing” variety.
The blackened Alaskan Sockeye Salmon was flaky and mild, and the spices started sweet and ended with a kick of heat. The asparagus was an outstanding choice of side, served crunchy and perfectly cooked.
The Flank & Fries is a plate full of shoestring fries topped with a marinated flank steak drizzled with red wine butter. The marinade was flavorful, and the fries were served with fresh ketchup, although we preferred to dip our fries in our remaining spinach dip.
Our second surprise of the evening was the Fried Catfish with a jalapeno cream sauce, bacon-braised collard greens and pimento cheese risotto—in a word—YUM. Every morsel was perfectly cooked, fried, simmered, and whatever other culinary magic was going on back in the kitchen to prepare this dish.
For dessert, we may have overdone it, but no apologies will be issued. The Tres Leche Cake was the favorite of our server, Lexi, so we ordered it, too, and we were so glad we did. You could start with the caramel drizzle and whipped cream frosting and go down to the moist cake. I can still close my eyes and taste.
We also tried the flourless chocolate cake with strawberries, whipped cream and dark chocolate drizzle. It was a bit dense for our tastes, but it was PERFECT when paired with the Tres Leche Cake. The Old Fashion Cake would appeal most to those who enjoy bourbon.
You can expect the friendly staff to serve seamlessly and quietly, appearing when you need them and then disappearing when you don’t. I found the pricing quality-based, where you could order a burger, have drinks with friends, or celebrate a special occasion with a pricier entrée.
Scratch Kitchen is located at 132 West Main St. in Norman. Reservations can be made by calling 405.801.2900 or online at EatAtScratch.com. The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Their daily specials can be found on Instagram @scratchnormandowntown.